Worm composting is an incredibly efficient way to quickly convert domesticfood and paper waste into nutrient-rich compost for your garden. The wormworks unique design automatically separates food scraps from finishedcompost. Simply fill the bottom tray with dendrobaena worms, bedding, andfood scraps. As the worms finish digesting, they will migrate upward into thetray above, leaving rich castings behind. Excess liquid drains through the traysto the catch basin below as a nutrient rich compost tea.

In full operation, The worm works houses 10,000 to 12,000 worms that canconsume 3-4 kgs. of food a week, allowing you to harvest a full tray of castingsper month. Each worm works comes with full instructions and everything youneed to get started except the worms.

Operating Guidelines

Copyright 2007 Cascade Sales Inc.

the worm works

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Table of ContentsParts list ....................................................... 2 Assembling The worm works . ................... 3 Getting started . ........................................... 4 Establishing the feeding tray . ...................... 5 Upward migration, how it works .................. 6 Managing the top feeding tray . ................... 7 Choosing the right worms ............................ 8 Vermicompost and compost tea . .............. 12 Adding worms .............................................. 5 Upward Migration . ...................................... 6 Managing the feeding tray ........................... 7 Feeding your worms .................................... 9

Collecting natural bedding materials .......... 13 Raising worms for fishing. .......................... 13 Maintaining the environment ....................... 11 Dealing with pests ....................................... 14 Dealing with odours .................................... 14 Something’s growing in the tray . ............... 15 Weekly health checkup ............................... 15 Recovering Vermicompost .......................... 15 Going on vacation ....................................... 15 Just for avid gardeners ............................... 15 Bin management review.............................. 16 Recommended food list .............................. 16

1 Base with legs 1 Holding tray with side hole for spigot 1 collection tray with side hole for spigot 3 to 5 stacking trays with grid bottoms (as ordered)

1 Lid with 2 plastic holding clips 2 – 1/4" x 3/4" bolts (AF) 1 Lever tap spigot and spigot nut Package of shredded paper 1 coir brick

Your worm works kit contains the following parts

Tools Needed: You will need a screwdriver with a crosshead blade and possibly an adjustable wrench.

collection tray

base tray

holding tray

Assembling The worm works

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1. Separate the stacking trays from theother parts. You may have 3 to 5 traysdepending on your order.

working tray

2. Locate the 2 trays withdrilled holes on the side andthe modified tray used as thebase.

3. Locate two 1/4" x 3/4"stainless bolts. Place theholding tray with the drilledhole over the base tray.Place the screws atopposite corners. Applypressure to screwdriver todrive bolts through thealigned grids. 4. Place the collection

tray into the holding tray,and align the spigotholes.

5. Locate the plasticlever tap (spigot) and thelarge plastic nut. Insertthe spigot through theholding tray and alignedcollection tray. Threadthe plastic nut on theplastic tap and firmlytighten by hand to securethe collecting tray. Makesure threads alignproperly beforetightening nut.

6. Stack theremaining trays ontop of thecollecting tray.

CAUTION: We recommend the worm works is NOT exposed to strong, direct sun, cold,

wind or rain. See details on page 7.

*Optional Lid holding clip

Lid

Tray

Push the HoldingClip along the edgeof the Lid and TopTray to secure the Lidto the Tray.

Getting Started

Once you have completed the assembly ofThe worm works you are ready to preparethe worm bedding and add your worms.

1. Place an empty tray(Working Tray) on top ofthe collection tray.

NOTE: When referring to the trays in Theworm works the top tray is alwaysreferred to as the working tray. Lowertrays are referred to as processing trays.

2. Line the bottom of theworking tray with 3 or 4sheets of newspaper.

3. To make your tray bedding, soak the block ofcoir in a container with about 3 litres of water foran hour, then shred the waterlogged brick. Wringout excess water and mix the loose coir with acup of a mixture of active compost*, rich darkdirt, crushed egg shells and/or sand. Then, mixthe coir with the shredded paper included withyour worm works.

*You can use compost from yourgarden bin, however, if that is notavailable, use decayed leaf litterfrom beneath your shrubs.4. Spread freshly mixed

bedding on top of thenewspaper in the working tray.

5. Place 2 handfuls of food waste in one corner of theworking tray on top of bedding. (See section on food formore information.) Cover with 5-7.5cm of shredded moistnewspaper. Then cover with 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper.Place the lid over the material in the working tray. Setaside the remaining trays for future use. The worm worksis now ready for your worms to arrive.

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Adding WormsIn most cases, worms are not included whenyou purchase The worm works. When pur-chasing worms separately, make sure you buythe proper variety and enough quantity for ahealthy population in The worm works. Youcan start with as few as a quarter kilogram ofworms (approximately 500), however, a halfkilogram or 1000 worms will work even better,and if you really want to jump start The wormworks, start with a full kilogram ofDendrobaena.

It is important to have The worm worksand the bedding ready to receive theworms as soon as they arrive.

When your worms arrive they are packed in a special beddingmaterial. Open the worm box, then lift the top layer of moistnewspaper in the working tray and gently place the wormsand the bedding on the bed you prepared in the working tray.

Worms can become stressed during shipment. Theymay take a week or so to settle in. Leave a light on atnight to encourage them to burrow into their newhome. A common mistake is to overfeed your wormswhen you start using The worm works. Be patient.

Once the worms are in place, set an emptytray on top of the working tray then put thelid in the empty tray.

After three days remove the empty tray andlid. Lift the layer of moist newspaper and lookto see that the worms are actively involved inthe food waste. If they are crawling in andaround the food in the working tray, then addmore handfuls of food waste to the originalfood in the working tray. Cover the new foodwith the layer of moist newspaper. It may takeup to one or two months to eventually fill theworking tray to a depth of 7.5-10cm. Once theworking tray is full, set an empty tray directlyon top of it. The full tray is now a processingtray and the new tray is your working tray. Youcan now begin adding food to the new work-ing tray. Be sure to keep it covered with alayer of moist newspaper.

NOTE: Your worms will require at least a month to become fully acclimated to The wormworks and for the micro-organisms to populate the bins. It is essential that you allow thisprocess to take place. Both worms and microbes are essential to the operation of The wormworks. Do not expect to see the food disappear before your eyes.

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Caution: Do not overfeed your worms. Place only a few handfuls of food in the working tray at atime, and only add food when you can see that the worms are actively working in the food youadded most recently.

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Here is how The worm works works!

Upward Migration Worm Bin

Dendrobaena or European nightcrawlers(E.hortensis), the worms used in The wormworks, are always on the move. Naturally, theymigrate up and down, back and forth. Theworm works design encourages mostly upwardmigration.

By always adding new food on the top-mostworking tray, it encourages the worms to maketheir way up through the grid in the bottom ofthe tray above; searching out the new food.

Over time, the food in the bottom processingtray is exhausted and converted into castingswhich are highly nutritious compost.

Once the worms have turned the material in thebottom processing tray into rich black compost,dump the contents of the finished processingtray in your garden and place it as the topworking tray on your worm works, ready tobegin the cycle all over again.

If you discover worms in the collection tray, justscoop them into the working tray or dump themin the garden along with the compost.

The Plastic Lid is a close fit in the Working Tray,its sole purpose is to keep light out of the topbin. If the optional Lid Holding Clips are in placethe Lid will resist most attempts to remove it bychildren or the wind.

The collection trayWorms require a moist environment but not a saturated one. The worm works design allowsexcess moisture to move downward through the processing trays and into the collecting tray.The gathered juice is called leachate. It is not unusual to find worms in the collection tray. Thetapered pan allows them to reenter the tray above. If you find worms in the collection tray, justscoop them into the working tray.

As you add food to the working tray, your worms will be activelyreducing it to compost. Make sure that you allow the working tray tofill to a depth of 7–10cm of material before adding a new workingtray. Over time, your worms will reduce the volume of the material by2/3, however, it is not advised to add new food or fibre to the lowerprocessing trays. We recommend that you only add food to the toptray — the working tray.

Lid

working tray #1

processing tray #2

processing tray #3

Collecting tray withspigot

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Managing the top feeding tray

When you first start your worm works the top tray is the working tray. As you addtrays, the original working tray becomes processing tray 2; processing tray 2 becomesprocessing tray 3. The top tray remains the working tray and the material in it shouldbe configured from the top down as follows:

Always place food waste under moist paper and other composted materials.

Worms need space to move around and the mid layer is where they like to hang outwhen not working in the food scrap layer.

As you begin working with The worm works, “experiencewill be the best teacher,” however, reading the instructionsin this booklet carefully will ultimately save you time andhelp ensure your success.

There are dozens of books on the topic of raising worms,written by everyone from respected scientists to just folkswith lots of experience. They cover many topics you mayfind interesting but have nothing to do with operating Theworm works you now own. The information in this booklet,however, focuses on the unique operation of The wormworks and gives you the information you need to besuccessful.

The close fitting plastic lid to keep light out of the working tray.A layer of three or four sheets moistnewspaper or a brown paper bag.

A layer consisting of one or more of the following:Moist shredded cardboardMoist shredded newspaperMoist shredded junk mail – Absolutelyno plastic or plastic “paper” and nometallic inks please!

A layer consisting of one or more of the following:Old leaves (not green)Pre composted grass clippingsOther composted plant material

A bottom layer of food waste.

CAUTION: Dendrobena worms should never be exposed to direct sun, cold wind orrain. Here’s why: In direct sun, it only takes a few hours for the top tray to reach over49C, and will simply cook your worms. In cold and wind the bedding temperature candrop rapidly below 10C. The compost process stops and the worms will hibernate. Ifyou continue to add waste food scraps and paper, it will simply create a very smellymess. Keep your worm works cool in the summer, and warm in the winter.

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WormsEarthworms have been around for millions of years and have survived in the most extremeconditions. They are found in all parts of the world with the exception of harsh deserts andarctic regions. There are many thousands of varieties of what can be called worms. Some areeven used in medical research. We will focus on the group called “Dendrobaena.”

Dendrobaena have what can be described as a rudimentary digestive system. Because theyhave no teeth and very few digestive fluids, they depend on bacteria, fungi, molds, and otherorganisms to predigest their food. In other words, worms can survive on any organic matter,including cellulose, wood fibres, and starches, however they need help to break down thefibres.

Useable worm food is created when plant growth has stopped and the cells become sepa-rated by either bacterial action and/or oxidation (exposure to air and water). That is what isgoing on in a well established and well-managed worm works. Worms do not eat garbagedirectly; garbage first must be broken down so they can digest it.

Each species of worm has a favorite food and habitat. Although we do not recommend youuse animal manure in your worm works, you will find earthworms anywhere manure is found.Commercial worm growers often use animal manure and paper waste as primary feed stocks.It’s important to note commercial growers raise a variety of species for many uses and themethods they use have no bearing on the function of your worm works.

Every 3 months, dendrobaenas in The worm works can be expected to double in population.Each tray can hold about 1.3Kg of worms, or about 3,000 worms. Overpopulation is not aconcern as worms can migrate freely between trays and some worms will always wind up inyour garden.

All this brings us back to the main purpose of The worm works: to recycle kitchen scrapsand other household materials in a defined, controlled environment, with the goal to producewhat many vermiculture enthusiasts refer to as “black gold” compost or worm castings, afavourite of all gardeners. You may never again need to resort to chemical fertilizers.

Worms in nature control most of their environment. However, because the worms are takenout of the ground and placed into bins, you must play an important role in the management ofThe worm works environment to insure their health and survival.

The key factors for successBedding — Food — Temperature

Moisture — OxygenBeddingThe worm works comes with basic bedding materials: coirbrick, and shredded paper. You want to create a bed that willallow excessive moisture to drain while at the same time holdmoisture. It can’t be too coarse, but bedding requires space forair to move through. A good bedding mix is always a mixture ofseveral materials.

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Coir is ground coconut fibre. It is the most desirable bedding material because it retainsmoisture and improves the quality of the worm castings that go into your garden. Coir isavailable at many garden centers and nurseries.

Shredded paper is inexpensive. Just recycle the daily paper, glossy paper or computer paper.Avoid plastic coated papers. Be careful: too much paper will mat in clumps. Mix shreddedpaper with leaves or shredded corrugated cardboard. When possible, set aside a couple ofbags of leaves each autumn. Paper egg cartons, shredded and soaked in water also makegood bedding material.

You will also need something to help keep your bedding loose and allow air to pass through.Powdered rock or crushed egg shell can accomplish this and both will benefit your garden.Add a small amount of soil or active compost to your initial working tray when you first set upyour worm works to introduce the healthy microbes worms rely on. The grit in soil, finelyground eggshells or sand is also used in the worm gizzard to allow the worms to digest whatthey eat.

FoodThe main source of food will come from your ownresources. Acceptable foods include vegetables,fruits, starches, egg shells, coffee grounds, paperand cardboard. Avoid salty foods, citrus peels, oilslike those found in salad dressings, meat, and dairyproducts. Worms can survive on any vegetablematter. Your kitchen and your garden will provide allthe food your worms can eat.

The worm works is what could be called a “coolcomposter” operating between 16–26 degrees celsius(C). In contrast, a “hot” outdoor compost bin with freshgrass cuttings can range from 65–71 degrees celsius.

Composted garden and grass clippings can be used for food and bedding after they first arebroken down in a hot composter. Remember, never use fresh cut grass clipping in yourworm works. Doing so can cause your worms to get too hot.

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Small is better when it comes to adding food toyour worm works. Some folks even puree foodscraps, and others first freeze them to helpbreak down the material. You want to achieve asoft food which will break down more quickly.

An easy and effective alternative is to placeyour food scraps into a plastic container with alittle water. Cover and microwave for 5 to 6minutes. After cooling, the “cooked” food isbroken down and ready for the wormcomposting process.

TemperatureDendrobaena normally live and feed within a few centimetres of theground surface. The ground maintains a consistent temperature. Inextreme heat or cold, dendrobaena will go as deep as 60cm under thesurface to maintain their temperature. When we put dendrobaena inplastic bins above ground, we must consider their natural behavior as afactor when managing The worm works.

Worms thrive in temperatures between 16–26 degrees celsius. They willslow down in cold or hot conditions. When in temperatures of 32 to 38degrees, they will go to the lower trays and must be kept moist. Neverplace The worm works in direct sunlight. Find a cool shady spot withplenty of air movement.

In northern climates The worm works must be kept indoors during thewinter. Dendrobaena will not survive freezing conditions.

A well established and well-managed worm works will not create anyoffensive odours.

MoistureDendrobaena require moisture to breathe because they take in oxygen through their skin andwill die if they dry out. The moisture in bedding should range from 60% to 80%. Without anexpensive meter, how can you determine the moisture? Here is where experience comesinto play.

First, you observe. You should never see dry scraps, especially paper, in a working tray, next,use the squeeze test. Hold a small amount of bedding between two fingers and squeeze. Youwant to see a drop or two of water.

If it is too dry, you have several options. You can add wet shredded paper, or spray water onthe tray. In very dry conditions, small amounts of water can be poured and let it work its waydown. It’s not a bad idea to always keep the valve in the collection tray open with a plastic tubunder it. This will help you monitor the moisture in your bins. You always want to see waterpassing through the working trays. Remember, all your fruits and vegetables are made up oflots of water. The worm works runs a little dry in contrast to sealed vermiculture systemsbecause it is so well aerated. Don’t be too concerned if very little leachate is produced.

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You can stir up the bin with a hand rake to let in oxygen. It is possible to drown the worms with too much water, but potentially the biggest problem is the fact that excessive water compacts the bedding creating thick globs. If you find your bedding too wet or with a bad odour, add dry shredded paper. After a while, you can judge the condition of the bedding by just looking at it.

OxygenThe movement of oxygen through the bedding is essential. Unlike some composting worm bins that are sealed, The worm works allows air to freely pass between working trays. Some folks even drill small holes in the side of the plastic working tray to increase airflow. It is very important to keep The worm works in an area or room with good ventilation.

Choosing the right wormsThe worm works is a vermicomposter, and you need worms that will do the job. There are several good vermicomposting worm varieties, but one stands above the rest:

The DENDROBAENA. Hageglede vil kunne levere Dendrobaena “Red Mosemark”

In nature, many earthworms live in permanent burrows in solitude. They are excellent soil aer-ators in the garden, however, we want a worm that is communal, burrows randomly through the litter layer of top soil. We want the DENDROBAENA available from Finnis Organic Worms.

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The most important characteristic of the DENDROBAENA is that they love DARKNESS andhate LIGHT. Keeping worms inside the bin can be a big challenge. Some other varieties areaccustomed to light and will exit the working tray without any warning or notice. Rain or anylow pressure weather system may cause the Dendrobaena worms to behave differently. Theymay crawl up to the top or down into the collection tray. however, they are hardy work horses,stay in the bin, and rarely escape.

We received an E-mail from a gentlemen who had carefully collected worms, a few at a time, inhis backyard. He ended up with a bin of free earthworms that refused to stay in The wormworks trays because the habitat and the food wasn’t what they wanted or needed to survive.You may recall that you can also find earthworms anywhere that manure is found, however,many varieties of worms cannot live in a vermicomposting environment. Make sure you orderyour worms from Finnis Organic Worms, who have the right variety, and not from the localbait shop.

Feeding your wormsOrganic bedding is necessary to operate your worm works. As a result, everything in thebedding is food for your worms. Remember, the smaller and softer the bedding, the better theenvironment for the bacteria, fungi, molds, and protozoa to prepare the food for the worms.

You can add new food to the uppermost working tray at any time. Worms will eat 3 times theirweight in a week or more, so one kilogram of worms will consume three kilograms of wasteand organic fibre, however, you can overfeed your worms.

Using your Vermicompost and compost teaAs your worms work into the upper working tray, the bottom processing trays will containworms, worm castings, broken-down organic matter, bedding, and other organisms calledvermicompost. Use it in your garden or for house plants to enrich the physical condition of thesoil and increase the organic content. Don’t worry if there are a few worms. They will find newhomes in your garden without disturbing the local ecological balance.

Leachate is the liquid that collects in thebottom tray, and it is rich in organic matterand plant nutrients. Before applying leachatedirectly, it is a good idea to pour it from onebucket to another to add oxygen. You can useit full strength on your outside plants. Forhouseplants, dilute it using one part water toone part leachate. You can also recycleleachate back through your worm works.

To make fresh compost tea mix 1 cup of wellprocessed castings in a gallon of water. Steepovernight, shake, mix or aerate with an aquariumpump if desired. Then use the solution within12 hours to water or spray plants.

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Collecting LeavesBy far the best and least expensive way to make your worms work at top speed is to give them leaves from trees gathered in the Autumn. Place dry leaves on the top of the working tray to help manage fruit flies. Add them to your bedding; mixing it with shredded paper. Use them wet or dry to help manage your bedding moisture. However, NEVER use leaves from plants such as bay, eucalyptus, or magnolia trees, and never use needles from pine, fir, or cedar trees.

Raising worms for Fishing

Most fishermen have a bias for the large earthworm called the blackhead. Even for commercial growers, the blackhead are very difficult to raise because they burrow deep in the ground. A little known fact is that Dendrobaena have an advantage for fishermen over the blackhead. Dendrobaena will stay alive for several days in water and continue to wiggle on the hook, whereas blackheads die almost immediately.

Dendrobaena are usually 6–8cm long, and make great fish bait. You can even fatten them up by feeding them a cereal-based meal, details of which are available on the website (www.finnisorganicworms.co.uk or www.thewormworks.com) or by contacting us directly at Finnis Organic Worms, 135 Carrigagh Rd., Dromara, Dromore, Co. Down, N. Ireland BT252HR, Tel (02897532686), Fax (02897532194), or email info@thewormworks.com.

That brings up the subject of feeding worms with foods other than your household wastes. You can buy books used by commercial growers with complicated feed formulas using manure, sewer sludge, and grains of all kinds. It’s a lot of work, and your Worm Worms may prove too small to warrant such extreme feeding tactics. However, one thing you can do is to ask your local coffee shop for a bag of their old coffee grounds if you run short on food. Your worms will appreciate it.

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Dealing with pestsThere are books written on this subject. Most commercial growers raise their worms inwindrows on the ground. As a result, ants attack, slugs raid, and sow bugs ravage theirworms. You should not have the same experience with The worm works. You may,however, notice other creatures in your worm works from time to time, some of which area part of the composting process, such as springtails, mites, white pot worms and moulds.It is very unlikely that you will ever find house fly larva in your worm works. A complete listof invertebrates and other things found in vermiculture can be found online atwww.happydranch.com/invetebrates.html

The fruit fly is by far the biggestproblem, especially if you keep yourworms inside in the winter. Theseguys arrive on the skins of fruits andvegetables. You can make fly traps,use chrysanthemum bug spray, ormake it difficult for them to exit.

Place an empty working tray on topfull of dry shredded paper or dryleaves through which the flies mustpass to get out of the bin. Theybecome discouraged very quickly.Beneficial nematodes, available atmany garden centers, are also anexcellent biological control for fruitflies and springtails.

Unpleasant OdoursIn a well established and well-managed worm works there is no odour unless youactually open it up. If it does start to make a big stink, however, with the odour of a seweror rotten eggs, it is not being managed correctly. Excess water and/or overfeeding are thelikely problems. Most foods contain a high percentage of water, especially pureed fruit. Ifthe bedding becomes compressed and water-logged, it will restrict the flow of oxygenneeded for the compost process to work.

To correct the problem, first stop feeding. Next, add dry bedding materials: shreddedpaper, dry coir, dry leaves, or broken up corrugated cardboard will work. Mix the contentsto immediately aerate the bin. Another possibility could be the food you are adding. Meatscraps, dairy products, and oily foods could be the problem.

If you continue to have an unpleasant odour, gently stir up the entire bin periodically tocreate more air spaces. You are trying to add oxygen and the air pockets will allow this tohappen. Be careful. Worms can become stressed which will result in them grouping up ina ball or even crawling out of the bin.

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Finding things growing in the working traysSometimes, seeds from food scraps sprout. Microwaving your food scraps will help. Other thingssuch as moulds may also grow. Have no fear! Mould is a part of the natural composting processand should be no problem. If however, too much mould remains, it may be an indication that youare feeding too much.

Weekly reviewAt first it may sound strange, but you will actually get to know your worms. Worms don’tappreciate you digging around too much, however, you do need to check up on them. In additionto regular feeding, a weekly review of the working tray is a good idea. Look around. Are the wormsmoving up? Is there an “earthy odour” like the soil in your garden? Do the worms have a moistlayer of slime on their bodies? Do the worms quickly bury themselves when exposed to light? Doyou see small “young” worms? If you see evidence of dry conditions, add moisture. A sour odourmay indicate overfeeding or too much moisture. Take steps to correct these conditions at once.

Recovering VermicompostOnce all of the trays (3,4, or 5) are full, the compost in the bottom processing tray is ready foryour garden or house plants. The bin’s contents will be nearly black, and the chunks of matterare small. Tip the material out and, if possible, wash out the tray over an area you want to applycompost, such as a lawn or flowerbed. Check the collection tray. If you find worms, gather themup and put them in the working tray. Occasionally, you will find a very fine, dark material in thecollection tray. Scoop it out, add it to a small container of water, and it will dissolve intocompost tea.

Remember, the dendrobaena lives in nature in the top 25cm of the litter layer consisting of leaveswith humus, so the dendrobaena will not survive in your garden of clay soil. Dendrobaenaare most comfortable under trees, shrubs, or a layer of compost.

Once you have emptied the bottom tray of completed compost, add more bedding as necessaryand place the tray atop The worm works as the working tray and begin the process once again.

Going on HolidayWorms can function just fine for up to a month without any care. The biggest concern is notenough moisture, and that is only a problem in extremely dry conditions with low humidity. Addmoist shredded paper or cardboard to the bin before leaving on holiday. This will feed your wormswhile you are away. Extra food waste can cause your bin to heat up and the worms will do finefeeding on just the paper. Alternatively, Finnis Organic Worms supply 2kg of a concentratedcereal based feed, Worm Meal, which is an excellent treat for them while you are away.

Just for avid gardenersWhile a sensitive touch and experience work for most folks, some gardeners have meters to readboth moisture and the pH levels. Either way, try to keep the moisture in your worm worksbetween 60% and 80% indoors and somewhat dryer out of doors. If your bin is too dry, ants mayenter your bin and cause problems.

Without going into detail, the composting process can create an excessive acid problem. You cantest pH with a simple kit from most garden centres. Worms enjoy a pH of between 7 and 8. A safeway to deal with acid is to add crushed eggshells, rock dust, crushed limestone, crushed oystershells, or calcium carbonate in small amounts. The lime supplied by Finnis Organic Worms isideal for this purpose. However, NEVER use, quicklime, slaked lime, plaster lime or any sort of saltor soda products.

Basic Bin Management

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Place several sheets of moist newspaper directly under the plastic lid covering theworking tray.

Moisture ControlWorms require moisture so be sure to check your bedding regularly. Use the squeeze test(see page 10) to see if adequate moisture is present. To increase moisture, recycle the liquidfrom the collection tray or add wet fibre: shredded newspaper, cardboard, etc. To reducemoisture, add dry fibre including shredded paper, cardboard, peat moss, or coir which weadvise as an environmentally friendly alternative to peat moss, etc.

Optimum temperature for The worm works ranges between 5 and 26 degreescelsius. Keep The worm works in a dry, cool covered area. Never allow The worm works tosit in the rain or direct sun. Never allow The worm works to freeze.

Feeding GuidelinesAdd more food only if the worms are actively involved in the food waste already there.Avoid overfeeding. Feed your worms a balanced diet of 50% kitchen scraps and 50% fibre.Always place new food under the layer of moist newspaper beneath the plastic lid.

Fibre SourcesShredded paper from magazines, cardboard, paper egg cartons, dryer lint, vacuum dust,Kleenex, napkins, paper towels, and junk mail.

Food SourcesBreakfast: toast, oatmeal, muffins, cereal, fruit scraps, and finely crushed eggshells.Lunch and Dinner: all vegetables including corn, broccoli, cabbage, onions, beans,tomatoes, squash, carrots, peas, cooked potatoes, and green salad — hold the dressing.Grain based foods such as breads, pasta, rice, and even pizza crust — but not the cheeseand meat toppings.

Note: Use caution when adding grain based foods. Excessive grain based foods such asbread or pasta can cause The worm works to overheat.

Dessert: melon, banana, pineapple, apple, grapes, peaches, plums, berries, baker’s yeast.Beverages: coffee grounds with filters, tea bags with paper bags. (Remove the plastic tags,strings, and staples.)Side orders: dead flower bouquets, dead disease-free plants, dried leaves gathered inthe Autumn.

Remember, finer is better. The smaller the bits of food in the working tray, the faster theworms will turn it into rich, dark compost for your garden.

A special thank you to the Washington State University Extension Service for providingthis list of recommended foods for your worms.